Real-World Learning for Kids: Why Competence Comes Before Curriculum

Real-World Learning for Kids: Why Competence Comes Before Curriculum

Discover how real-world learning for kids builds confidence, purpose, and lifelong curiosity. Explore Outsiders' hands-on, skills-first approach to education.

Why Kids Need ‘Islands of Competence’

When children fall short, many parents’ instinct is to take away something they love. That’s the wrong impulse.Brian FinkeA worried mother sits on the couch in my office. Her spouse was recently laid off, they’re experiencing tension at home, and her 15-year-old son’s grades have started to drop. “The one thing he seems to care about is the wrestling team,” she tells me. He’ll wake up at 5 a.m. to train, but he isn’t doing his homework. “We’re t…